Pouring spout construction



May 9, 1961 o. M. MILLER, JR 2,983,422

POURING SPOUT CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 22, 1958 INVENTOR.

OTTO M. MILLER, JR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent() POURING SPOUT CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 22, 1958, Ser. N0. 762,323 3 Claims. (Cl. 229'17) The invention relates to a pouring spout construction for a paperboardv carton, vandespecially' to a construction which prevents the attachment of the lifting tab to the panel which underlies the same.

Summary l have `discovered an improved pouring spout construction which solves the problem of accidental securing of the free lifting tab to the panel underlying it during the carton setting up operation. According to my invention it is possible to form a pou-ring spout from two attached overlapping panels while still maintaining a cut out portion of the outer panel free from any attachment to the inner panel so that it may act as a convenient lifting tab for opening the spout.

My invention consists of an improved pouring spout construction for a paperboard carton which has one of its walls formed by two panels which overlap at least partially. In such 'a carton the pouring spout construction includes a spout forming flap in the underlying portion of the inner panel, which ap is defined by interrupted cut ylines so that it may be readily separated from the remainder of the inner ilap. Overlapping this spout forming ilap and secured thereto is a closure ap formed from the outer panel. A portion` of the closure ilap extends beyond the extremity of the spout forming llap to overlie a part of the inner panel and form a lifting tab so that when the tab is lifted the spout forming liap and closure flap are pulled away from the carton Wall to leave an opening. In order to prevent the accidental securing of this lifting tab to the portion of the inner panel whichV it overlies and' in order to facilitate the gripping of the lifting tab, I provide a ridge on either the lifting tab or the portion underlying it, or both, to `keep the major portion of these parts spaced from each other both when thecarton is being set up and after it has been set up.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

Description In the drawings wherein I have illustrated the best mode contemplated by me of canry'ing out my-invention:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a carton embodying my invention with the pouring spout construction being shown in closed position; f

Fig, 2 is a perspective view of the portion orf the carton of Fig. 1 which forms the pouring spout with said pouring spout being shown in opened position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the spout forming flap and the closure flap before they are `secured together; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View showing the pouring jspout construction when in closed position, said' view being taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. lA looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, I will now describe a paper- Patented May 9, 1961v ICC board carton embodying theV pouring spout construction' of my invention in one of its preferred forms.

The carton is generally rectangular and is completely closed at its ends. One of the sides includes two panels, 10 and 11, which overlap, at least in part. The outer panel y10 forms the exterior side of the carton. A spout forming flap 12, near the top edge of thisside wall, is cut out of inner panel 11 along top'and bottom cut lines 13 and 14, respectively, and along interrupted side cut ylines 15 Iand 16. Cut lines 15 and 16 hold ap 12 in a position coplanar with panel 11 until iiap 12 is pulled away and the small uncut portions joiningflap 12 and panel 11 are torn. Cut out along cut 'line 18, from outer panel 10 is a hinged closure ap 17, a portion of which is secured to ilap 12, as by a suitable adhesive shown at .19 in the drawings, Part of the portion or lifting tab 20 offlap 17 1 which extends beyond the edge of flap 12 to overlie flap 11 is cut off so as to leave part of panel 11 exposed when the spout. construction is in closed position. As is evident, in order to form' the spout or opening communicating with the interior of the carton, the lifting tab 20 is grasped and vpulled upwardly and outwardly from the side wall, thereby pulling flap 17 upwardly and outwardly and tearing flap 12 loose from panel 11. Inorder to reclose the carton, flap 17 is pushed downwardly' and inwardly until the sides of ilap 12 frictionally engage the sides of the spout or opening.

In a carton of the type described, it has been found that tab 20 has a tendency to become adhesively secured to the portion of panel 11 which underlies it. This is true, in part, due to the fact that the adhesive is applied to flap 12 by a roller which also deposits some. glue on this underlying portion of panel 11. In accordance with my invention, this problem is solved by the formation of at least one score line 22, on the outer surface of the tab or the inner surface of the portion underlying it, or both, so as to form a raised ridge portion 21 on at least one of the facing surfaces. The preferred form, shown in the drawings, includes a pair of spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending ridge portions on the inner face of tab 20 and a pairv of spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending ridge portions on the outer face of the underlying portion of panel 11. The ridges on the two surfaces are in alignment, as beSt seen in Fig. 4, when the flaps 12 and 17 are in closed position.

It is clear from the drawings that the practicing of my invention eliminates the possibility of tab 20 becoming rrnlfy secured to the underlying portion of panel 11 since any excess adhesive applied by the roller during the carton set-up operation will lie between the ridges 21 on panel 11 and will not contact tab 20. Should some adhesive be inadvertently applied to the ridges v21, the tab 20 may still be easily moved since the tab will be secured to only the ridges along a very small line of contact which may readily be broken. The spacing between tab 20 and the portion of panel 11 underlying it also facilitates the grasping of tab 20 with a linger or suitable implement. In order to furtherv facilitate such grasping, tab 20 can be separated from ap 17, to which it i-s connected, by a score -line 23. v

The terms and expressions which I haveemployed are used ,inv adescriptive and not a limiting sense, and I have no intention o f excluding such equivalents of the invenincludes a spout forming ap'in'the underlying portion 'of the inner panel and dened by interrupted cut lines so that it may be' readily separated from said underlyingl l portion, and a closure ap in the outer pa'nel iu overa lapped relation to the spout forming ap and secured thereto, as by an adhesive, said closure ap having a tab connected thereto which extends beyond the corresponding extremity of said spout forming flap and overlies part of said inner panel; the improvement comprising a raised ridge on the contacting surface of said tab and a raised ridge on said part of said inner panel underlying the tab, the two raised ridges being in alignment when the tab is in a position overlying said part of the inner panel, thereby maintaining a space between said contacting surfaces to prevent accidental securing together over a relatively large area of said contacting surfaces when the spout forming ap and the closure flap are secured together, said spacing also serving to facilitate the grasping of the tab by a person desiring to open the pouring spout by tearing Iloose the portion of the spout forming flap which is still attached to the inner panel.

2. A lift up spout forming construction for a paperboard carton having a iixed panel and a free lifting tab overlying a portion of said xed panel and being spaced .4 therefrom by a raised ridge on the portion of said fixed panel underlying said lifting tab, and a raised ridge on the portion of said lifting tab overlying said lixed panel, said raised ridges being aligned when the tab is in a position overlying said fixed panel, said spacing preventing the accidental securement of the major portion of the tab to said panel and also facilitating the lifting of the tab away from said panel,

3. A pouring spout construction in accordance with claim l, and wherein said aligned ridge portions extend longitudinally, and further comprising a second set of aligned longitudinally extending ridge portions on said contacting portions parallel to and spaced from said first set of aligned ridges.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,131,575 Whipple Sept. 27, 1938 2,338,749 Wilbur Jan. ll, 1944 2,882,963 Alden Feb. ll, 1958 

